New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-18
CREDIT TO UHOM 1T IS DUE.

The award of the Government contract Tor
gun steel and ship armOr to the Bcthlehcm
Company was properly made. There was
lower bid for the gun steel, but the Official
advertisement stipulated that proposals Tor
both classes of steel would receive the pref
crence. Secretary Whitney was therefore fully
justified in setting aside the lower bid for q
portion of the work. The contract is large
one calling for the production OF $500 tons
of forgings and armor plates at cost OF
S4,512. 93S %. There have been rumors in
circulation that the Bethlehem Company had
made contracts with a French establishment
whereby the machinery and material were to
be imported. If these stories were well
grounded the domestication of these new in
dustrios would be a miserable sham. we
are glad to be able to contradict these reports.
Neither armor plates, forgings, hammers nor
machinery arc to be brought over fIom France.
American material is to he used; complete
phnt. with hammers Of the largest size, Is to
be provided; and the work is to. be done tV
American workmcn. The bethlehem works
have obtained information abroad and are re-
producing foreign machinery, but the outcome
of the Governments wise policy is to be the es-
Enlistment on American soil of genuine home
industries. =,
The credit for this policy has been claimed
by partisans Of the Administration exclusively
for Secretary Whitney. That he deserves
much credit VIC do not wish to deny. In fact
il has so often been necessary for us to crti-
else his official record that it is pleasure to
find something which can be honestly and fully
commended. But praise in order to possess
value must be intelligent and discriminating.
The fla tterers who are landing the Secrctary's
course neglect to mention the fact that he has
carried out-but only after unnecessary and
incxcusablo delay-the policy of his prede-
cessor He has acted shrewdly and wisely in
combining the contracts for gun steel ana
armor plate; but this is the precise course
recommended by Mr.. Chandler when in oilcc.
In fact. the credit for the establishment OF
these industries in the United States is pre-
eminently due to the last Republican Admin
istration. In the reports of Secretary Chandler
and of the Gun Foundry Board the foundations
for the domestcaton Of these industries were
laid. The advertisements might have been
issued year before they were printed, il Sec
retary Whitney had not adopted dilatory
policy. Two years have passed without his
equipping the Washington Navy Yard as an
ordnance factory-a work which has been
authorized. Next year he will probably do
this, and then his partisans will again insist
upon according to him exclusive credit Tor
long deferred Republican policy.
Possibly we are doing the Secretary injustice
in supposing that he accepts all the praise
our Democratic contemporaries arc lavishng
upon him. lie must be familiar with the facts
related in judicous Washington letter on
another page, and probably desires to extend
his thanks to Mr.. Chandler, Senator Hawley
and the Bethlehem Iron Company for what
they have helped him to accomplish. Ger
tainly no better time than this could be found
for frank acceptance of his Indebtedness to
Republican leaders and the Gun Foundry
Board and for complete severance from those
influences-principally Senatorial and naval
which led him to commit the fatal blunder OF
attempting to discredit every one connected
with the building of the first cruisers. There
is no moro fitting time than this for him to
acknowledge his Obligations for Republican in
spiration aid and advice, which enabled him
to make such busincss-lil1e arrangement as
that Just concluded with the Bethlehem Com
pany, and to associate his name with work
destined to be the most prominent event In
the history of National defcnces.